Key Definitions "Nationality" and "citizenship" are used in international law interchangeably. Neither term has any connotation of ethnic or racial content but is simply the status that gives a person certain rights and obligations in relation to a particular state. A "stateless person" is defined under international law as: “…a person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law”. Although stateless people may also be refugees, most stateless persons have never crossed a border. An “undocumented person” is someone with no government issued proof of identity e.g. a birth certificate, an ID or a passport (either because no attempt was made to apply or the document was lost but can be reapplied for). An “irregular migrant” is a someone who has crossed a border and who does not have lawful immigration status in the country of entry or who entered the country without proper immigration procedures being followed.